From the Bottom: The Bassists of NAUGHTY (1980)
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- #bass #basshistory #analysis #bassgrooves #paulthompson
EPISODE #3 of this series talks about the incredible bass performances by Anthony Jackson, Willie Weeks, Marcus Miller, and Mark Stevens from Chaka Khan's oft-overlooked 1980 album "Naughty". We'll talk about each player, where their career was at the time they cut the tracks, what gear they used when applicable, and how some of the sessions went down. We'll also break down the basslines on each track and analyze what makes them so special. Join me in exploring one of the great albums #fromthebottom.
Anthony Jackson/"Clouds" - 1:28
Willie Weeks/"Get Ready, Get Set" - 7:16
"Move Me No Mountain" - 9:57
"Nothing's Gonna Take You Away" - 12:15
Marcus Miller/"So Naughty" - 13:29
Mark Stevens/"Too Much Love" - 16:11
"All Night's All Right" - 18:06
"What You Did" - 19:45
"Papillon (aka Hot Butterfly)" - 21:41
"Our Love's In Danger" - 23:24
Transcriptions of basslines played during video: drive.google.com/drive/folder...
Charlie Scott's Music - cscott.bandcamp.com/
Website: paulthompson.us/
Instagram @pdbass74
Twitter @pdbass74
I cannot believe you. You dont get that many views, not to many subs, probably no money from UA-cam, but you still create these wonderful videos. Thankyou so much for helping us out, really unbelievable how great your vids are.
You are very kind! I'm still fairly new to this, as I have only been really creating content seriously for about 7-8 months. I know it takes a while, but I'm very inspired by comments like this one. I appreciate it! More to come for sure.
@@pdbass Now I see part of how I had I had not seen your videos yet.....I am always keeping a lookout for Bass players and drummers. This is soooo cool hearing all this information and backstory with Chaka Kahn, let alone all the great grooves.
Yeah, I have to agree… These videos are amazing. I really like Rick Beato, and this format is as unique and likable as Rick’s. I don’t see how you don’t have the same trajectory.
@@JCGErvin especially given that Bass is the most important instrument in the band if you had to pick one!
Right on!
Very few people get Chaka artistry. You get it...
She'll always be my favorite singer. Her instrument is unparalleled and her choices are perfect!
the song Papillion is such a beautiful song, every time i hear it, it takes me back to my teenage years in so Cal...and it reminds me of my brother who was a big Chaka fan. Oh and you can REALLY hear Luther VanDross on the background vocals!
And Cissy Houston!
This ❤
CHAKA sings like we breath. the most natural singer iv'e ever heard. of course surrounded by the best.
I said it before, your students are incredibly fortunate to be taught by you! Your love of music is palpable, there is nothing as powerful as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic teacher.
Thank you!! I'll be happy when I can see them again in person.
I have listen'ed to this album since 1980. I thought the bass on Move me no Mountain was keyboard synth. When I found out it was Anthony Jackson I listen'ed to it more. People say I'm obsessed with it. But it's new every time I listen to it Thank You for breaking-down what took place.
Clouds was always my favorite cut from this record. Steve Ferrone & Anthony Jackson = a hell of a combo
CLOUDS!!!!!! This is a killer! And it's even more amazing song when turned up and lights out. Whew!
Steve Ferrone....the only black guy in A.W.B. 😊
Anthony Jackson is the Electric Bass G.O. A.T 👌🏿👌🏿
This album is my "Bass Bible" for lack of a better term.
Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤
Love this record. I have a great connection to this record. My uncle cowrote "Get Ready Get Set" and later wrote some other that Chaka covered.
I've always considered Naughty as the line in the sand, the clear delineation of classic and modern bass playing. AJ threw down the gauntlet, and re-wrote rule book.
It is indeed my FAVORITE Chaka albums!!!
I love this album. My favorite song is “Nothing’s Gonna Take You Away” which runs right into “So Naughty”. I also love “What You Did” because of the tuba arrangement.
I listen to this often…..bass player master class !!
Plus Steve Ferrone !!!!
I was lucky enough to see Willie Weeks play bass for Vince Gill, country legend at Casinorama. He played a white Sadowsky with stereo Aguilar cabinets. Sustain forever.!
Thank you sir for this. and let me offer this - side A is MAGICAL. songs 1-5 are perfection in terms of sequencing. Clouds/Get Ready Get Set/Move me No mountain/nothing's gonna take you away/Naughty. those 5 songs. chaka takes you thru it like it's a non-stop rollercoaster of emotion. i can't think of another album where I was just AWESTRUCK at the song placement.
YES! It’s brilliant. Great observation!
thank for responding! There's something about the way the saxophone leads into "Naughty" that's just MASTERFUL. I love that you focus on bass, on the same note, all the musicians PUT THEIR FOOT IN THIS. Love it. and so excited to meet someone who loves it just as much.
I throughly enjoyed this analysis of 1 of my favorite albums! This album got plenty of airplay in the DC area. I use to stare @ Chaka on the album cover ❤️
Papillon (Hot Butterfly) & Clouds ! Two of my favorite Chaka songs!
Another often overlooked AJ Masterpiece is Luther's version of "A House Is Not A Home". A very slow ballad, long notes, almost no runs but where he places his notes is insanely in the pocket! Thank you for this video :)
Yes indeed. House is one of my favorites AJ baselines. Those low notes, fills at just the right moment....whew!
Hey PD ! I am really getting into your back catalogue having just discovered your channel. I love jazz, soul, classical, funk, jazz funk and so on and so forth but whenever I listen to new music [ to me ] I always subconciously am listening to the bass line 1st. I LOVE The bass whether double or electric. Would you consider doing a shout out for Verdine White ? Thanks for all you do, My Man !
The Shadows of Motown book led me to Anthony Jackson and the seminal Move Me No Mountain, that bass playing moves me.
Willie Weeks had a couple of standout bass performances for me. Stevie Wonder's "Mistra Know-It-All". And Steve Winwood's "Vacant Chair".
The first verse of So Naughty reminds me a lot of Stu Zender's playing on Space Cowboy. Would love to see you do a video on Stu.
Stu Zender ❤ Bass god. Would love Pdbass to dive into the playing of Zender.
Except the vocals on Space Cowboy sound like a bee trapped in a jam jar......
I’m so glad that there is a tribute like yours doing justice to this brilliant album. I bought it straight away after hearing ‘Clouds’. Knew almost immediately it was AJ. I still marvel at the line up and how criminally good all the other tracks are. I thought at the time only Quincy Jones pulled of stuff like that. I thought, who’s this Arif guy😊- just amazing.
I chuckled with delight when you mentioned the tubas and the violin solo. Maybe too good an album to have been a commercial success, but it’s legacy value is priceless.
My mom had the album, and I felt SOOO "Naughty" looking at Chaka Khan as a little kid back then.
I couldn't agree more!!! Chaka told me A.J. and Steve were the best bass/drum duo she had ever recorded with. They were her favorite. She shared with me the story of AJ's recording process for this recording. Simply amazing!!...As well as Dave Grusin's NY/LA dream band performance in Japan with A.J. and Steve Gadd. Another bass/drum masterpiece....the same process...re-recording his whole bass performance. There are many amazing story tellers of this instrument (bass), all special in their own way, but for me....A.J. just speaks to my spirit when he tells his story. His book is open...it's an endless read. 👍🏾🤜🏾🤛🏾
Also Grover Washington’s Just the two of us is the vamp of Naughty.
This is great, excellent analysis. Those AJ bass lines are worth transcribing just like Jamerson’s. Like you said, this album is not very well known, but in my opinion, it may be one of the best R&B albums ever made.
I love these deep dives into albums, what a great and unique concept. As an aside it would also be cool if you did video essays on certain players styles with select choices from their discographies. I'd recommend one on Leon Sylvers as he's so overlooked but I think he's one of the best out there. His style is so unique and his sense of rhythm, space and note choice is so so good. Keep doing what you're doing!
Also, thanks to your video making me go back to listen, I’ve discovered something wild… Jackson likely having the beds (specifically the drums) for those 3 months allowed for him to craft his phrases and fills around what Steve Ferrone was playing! At the end of ‘All Night’ specifically, you can hear him lock up and build these beautiful lines, most notably towards the end. I’d never noticed it, but as a drummer who knows all those fills like the back of my hand, hearing Anthony creating around rhythmic, groove-based fills was mind blowing. Anyway, thanks again!!!
The BEST channel for this style of bass breakdowns. Cheers for the good vibes, mate )))
Honestly, I thought I was the only person in the world that falls over just talking about this album. I have just been truly enjoying this album for 6 years.
Honestly, thank you for this review. Wish you could do one on the Drumming of Steve Ferrone on this album, because it needs to be discussed!
Chaka’s voice soared to a career climax on this album due to the extraordinary musicians..you all were unforgettable.
Great tribute regarding all the bass players who worked on my favorite Chaka Khan recording. This awesome review, centering around the bass playing on every cut, has given me an even greater appreciation and perspective for this classic project.
My favorite Chaka album. I met her when I was 19 and she signed this album for me. You've already covered 4 of my all-time favorite albums Rapture, Hejira, Naughty, and The Nightfly🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️. Thank you. Can't wait to see what's next.
When this album was released I was a high school junior in Chicago. I am surprised it didn't chart well because Clouds, Get Ready Get Set, and Papillon received much airplay. Even today old school house music dj's have Clouds in their playlist. Perhaps like Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago, Chaka gets more attention because it's their hometown.
DUDE...thank you so much for this video! There are things that I would do as a bass player that I didn't realize was influenced by THIS ALBUM! I haven't heard these songs in years, but I remember them, but I forgot 'em! LOL. The only other album that did this for me was John Scofield - Blue Matter. Both albums were major influences for me that I totally forgot about! Thanks again man.
I have the album. It's really underrated. When this was released there were so many other artists around that it got buried.
Tnx man,another marvelous video!I've listened and studied these bass lines for years,especially Anthony Jackson's parts.That's certainly some of wickedest bass playing ever... Chaka and What Cha Gonna Do For Me,first and third Khan's album,are equally top-notch as this masterpiece.
Just keep on dude,we need more stuff like this :)
Naughty is a great classic! Anthony Jackson is mind blowing on this album. I totally agree with your take on what he played.
Know it VERY WELL. my mom LOVED Chaka Khan. Moving and magical. In fact, I had a promotional copy I played A LOT, I got it from my step dad. I was 10, VERY sad. My mom and dad were recently divorced. My mom was on different tours with CARL CARLTON ( who went essentially into oblivion b/c his producers thought he was feeling himself too much, wanting MORE ends per sale), JAMES INGRAM and I think still leon Haywood was with them and others. I was JUST listening to papillon. Dude, you know and LOVE that bass, my brother!
Glad to learn about this album. The only record I have with Chaka Khan is Rags to Rufus which I love. It's a great funk/soul/fusion record. I remember the Stevie Wonder penned hit song growing up in the 70s.
Great vocalist, great players, and a great Producer with ears = magic.
This album flew under the radio because...it was too good!
Chaka's debut & the following album are also keepers. Merry Christmas!!!
That album STANKX!!!!!!! 😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖 It's one of the Essentials for Bass!
I had the Poster of the album when it came out....from the record store.😳(some kids might ask..what is a record store?) I'll be 55 in July remember it well. Outstanding job
Wow that sounds nasty good. Good work Mr. Bass Man!! I remember this album.
It is literally one of my Top 5 of all time.
Naughty and Watcha Gonna Do For Me. Anthony Jackson. KILLER!
The best Chaka Khan's and one of the best in the music of history albums ever!
It's funny watching this video, now I really understand why I love music..period! As a 18yr old hearing this album, I gained so much respect for the musicians playing on it. I used to put my headphones on just to pick out certain parts of the record and remember hearing a young Luther Vandross on background vocals. His and Chaka's voice blended so beautifully. Thank you for bringing out the magic of albums like these.🎼🎼🥂
Just diigged out a vhs of an Opera Winfrey special show with one guest Luther Vandross singing to a couple of backing tracks and talking about his life ect . Your right about this Naughty lp, it came at a cross over point and into the 80s it was all drum machines and synth bass and I was a teenager then . I hated that whole quantised crap computer music that went on for my whole twenties. Thank god for jazz clubs . I saw so many great jazz bassists and got to chat with people like Kenny Barron, and McCoy Tyner , David Murray. God knows what they thought about this skinny over enthused kid who would hang on there every word . That was fun ha ha .
Man, Im loving youtube recommending these pdbass deep cuts of classic bass deep cuts! With pdf transcriptions? You're too kind! I better just go into your channel and see what all Ive missed. I only subscribed like a year ago. Thanks again!
My awareness of Chaka began with “I’m Every Woman” and ended with “Ain’t Nobody.” I can’t believe how good this album is. Thanks for the great analysis and the recommendation!👍🏻
check out KLASSIKHAN (CHAKA) IMHO the best vocal record iv'e heard
WHAT?! Check it out from Rufus to now, Chaka is amazing.
This video was so enjoyable! I remember checking out this LP at the library (yep...I'm old lol!). I didn't get into the other tracks because the one I wanted was "Clouds" That BASS! So beefy and LOW...it was my JAM back in the day! And I heard Whitney right away. What a beautiful masterpiece that song was. Now I have to go back and listen to the other tracks since you've peaked my interest in this album again. Thanks SO MUCH for shedding light on this lost treasure!
Thank you for bri going this up. It's been in my rotation ever since. Loving the history you bring to basstube.
Distracted Al.Jarreau,Minnie Riperton's last album,simply love ❤ Papillion ,what a fantastic era of music you chose to review,another fantastic video
Yet again a superbly crafted video,
Such great playing with great background stories and anecdotes,
Bravo 👍
My favorite CHAKA album.
Naughty is one of the greatest RB albums ever created. After listening to it for many years I've concluded it's the end of the classic rock era also. I find their playing their RB riffs as aggressively as classic rocks riffs. I think this is one of the things that make it so great. It's an awesome album that all the tracks will grow on you till you like them all.
I honestly love the fact that your channel, and your personal tastes, match my own, but also enhance and grow my tastes by introducing me to new things. 'Naughty' has long been my top Chaka album, I think it's the most cohesive of all her albums, and in terms bassists, we have a wealth of talent all over that album. Retrospectively, this album deserves so much more attention than it gets! Thanks for another great video.
I don't play bass, but I love bass and this channel!
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
So many brothers of the funk will hail your vision
I love these videos!!! Please do "Gaucho". I can only imagine the stories from that album, but I've swooned over those basslines for years.
Found this cd at Amoeba records in Hollywood and it blew my mind. So powerful I played it until I couldn't anymore. Got a few of the bass lines too. Still in my top 10 along with All jarreau's live album from the 70s
just amazing the quartal fill of anthony and also amazing is this content , thnak you i'm going to share this with all my students, the legacy of our art is so importnat and your video help so much the younger generation
Chaka is queen
It's a magical album and to think of the greats that layed the buttom end. From Marcus Miller willie weeks to Anthony Jackson -Amazing! My favorite track is Papillon. But clouds is a study in perfection.
Thank you for breaking down all these amazing albums with insane bassists and basslines! Recently found your channel and I'm blown away by your content. Thanks again for all the inspiration!
Thank you for taking the time to share these stories on bass players like AJ, and the recording sessions etc. You make me really cherish these records .
I have this Album.
It's all about The Great Anthony Jackson....
Gonna check it out. I know I Feel for You & Papillon but listened with teens ears.
This album suffered the same faith as Earth, Wind and Fire's Faces double album. Also an 1980s release and story goes not supported as much as it should have by the rec company.
It was indeed a transition time to 'free' r'nb from the disco smell. All the great 70s pop-funk full horn section groups tried to make that step into the electro funk pop that would rule the early and mid 80s and most failed, at least, messured in sales.
The ultimate revenge: We hear that sound back in music nowadays, except, coming from a homestudio and a (midi) keyboard or computer. Not quite the same. I do like some songs but regret the musicianship and skills are nog longer needed per sé.
Luckily, we have bands like Snarky Puppy, Vulfpeck and peeps like Anderson.Paak (and many more ofc) carrying that tradition.
Tower of Power managed to recover later from their downturn. I like Corey Wong's band currently. I found out about them being a harmonica player of 46 years and I have adapted a bunch of Dave Koz, Sanborn, Maceo, tunes, etc. for harp and they popped up since I follow Dave Koz and always check out anything he is doing.
I had never heard anything off the Faces album until 2012 and it immediately became an all-time favourite. I often wonder how many brilliant albums from the past that I've never heard are out there waiting for me and other people to be discovered.
Not Cameo...they transitioned well
I'm
@@36index Word Up being there most succesful song ever, but She's Strange is my fav. I fell in love with Cameo mid eighties (indeed, the Word Up album) and went back in their catalog to discover the many jems from late 70s and early 80s , Alligator Woman, Talking out the side of your Neck, Keep it hot, Knights by nighht, Cameosis, Rigor Mortis...(list is NOT complete). There is a reason why my nickname is Cameo 🤣
I just discovered your channel and I am so glad you appeared on my timeline. The rhythm section is my favorite part of bands(bass, drums, piano). I clicked on this video so quickly because Chaka Khan is one of my all time favorite singers with Anthony Jackson being such an unsung genius. Keep up the great, detailed work by breaking down the music with entertaining enthusiasm.
Saw Howard Johnson with, if I remember correctly, Greg Osby and Marty Ehrlich in Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition band in the 90's at a gig on the waterfront in St.Louis...playing baritone sax! Thanks for the shout out to his tuba ensemble! This is a fantastic breakdown of NAUGHTY, thank you! ETA Thanks to Charlie for inspiring you to do this analysis and for his playing at the end of the video.👍🏽
Wow I'm a St. Louisan would've loved to see that show!!!
@@sirjer73 Lived there for 11&1/2 years. 👋🏽
STL STANDUP!! My hometown!! Waterfront concerts were so fun!!!!
I was there , my brother bought that album home in 1980. I played it many times. I was 15 years old. Now58yrs.
I just knew I liked the album at the time and there was a musicianship a bit under that as it always was. I was in the music
I just finished watching your video on Naughty and had to listen in context on UA-cam. Everything you broke down was masterful. Being a drummer and Steve Ferrone being one of my favorites holding down the bottom wit his tasteful playing and all the bass players you spotlighted made listening much more pleasurable. Thanks for your ensight.
Great video! I've been hooked on this album for a couple of months, after reading Anthony Jackson's interview you've mentioned. The subtle fills and variations in the verses and choruses of "Clouds" are simply phenomenal. A masterclass in bass line creation, and tricky to play too. Modern disco (such as Jessie Ware's and Kylie Minogue's new albums) usually have only occasional bass fills that complement a basic bass line, but the lines on Naughty are filled with detail and content while always complementing the music. Thank you for these videos, keep it up!
Your analysis of ALL albums I grew up with is beyond absolutely amazing. I really appreciate this and thank you for the wonderful and tedious work you do to produce these excellent videos.
Thank you for this breakdown of NAUGHTY, it has ALWAYS been my favorite CHAKA KHAN album/cassette /CD. As an Old School music lover, it always tickles me to read and hear people talk about music of my time. For all the music lovers I know, the success or "failure" of an album is never defined by sales or awards, there are too many other factors, as you mentioned. Also, people come of age with their soundtrack, people's tastes do not change as much as new young listeners start buying music. Those a little older, especially with less disposable income, can't buy as much music as they did before they assumed adult responsibilities. It's sad, because even people in the record industry, not the music makers, but the record industry, in my opinion, allow numbers they didn't understand to control production of art. When hip hop came along, many writers assume all Black people jumped on the rap band wagon. This ignores all the great bands and SINGERS, not rappers, who continued to give us SOUL/FUNK/R&B/"DISCO" in the face of hip hop. Love for the music never died! The investment and interest by the single focused record industry died. Also, thousands of people making and selling bootleg CDs stole money from artists, and made "record sales" look much lower! OLD SCHOOL MUSIC MAKERS, YOUR FANS ARE STILL HERE, WE NEVER STOPPED LOVING YOUR MUSIC!!! It's just like some people try to say JAZZ is dead. NO, their ears are dead.
Man, you found MY secret album! I found a used, but pristene copy thrown in a $1 Goodwill bin in Honolulu back in the early 90s when I was a DJ for the college station out there. Popped it on and loved it right away - it definitely falls in that area of jazz/pop/disco/soul/funk like what The Mizell Brothers were doing or the Philly Sound, late-era CTI records, etc. Unfortunately that "tween" sound didn't really catch on with any of those crowds back then. THEIR LOSS! When I dropped "All Night's All Right" I knew right away that this album would be one that our era, the "Acid Jazz" era, would benefit from. And, like you, when I moved to Japan in the late '90s, that was one of the first albums I looked for on CD and when I got it and copied it over to MD, I was so overjoyed bumping that album on my commute to work in Tokyo. A couple of decades later, I'm newly overjoyed that it's available in a lossless format because listening to it with good headphones and a good amp, and now your analysis of the excellent bass work and other instrumentation, further deepens my love and appreciation for this gem.
A bunch of heavy hitters on this album with Chaka!! I listen all the time! Thank you pd for taking the time to create this amazing analysis!!
Clouds is my JAM!! This album is a true gem.
Amazing unjustly unsung album!
My favorite bass channel.... certified music historian... thank you
I absolutely love Chaka and Rufus!💯💪🏿
I remember this album fondly I liked all the songs. This album makes ne reflect on a warm summer break from high school. I paid a ton for this CD import.
NAUGHTY....ASK RUFUS, MASTERJAM, STREET PLAYER....I LOSE MY MIND WITH ALL OF THEM.... BUT NAUGHTY.... EVERY SONG.... MY FAVORITE❣🎼🎵🎼🎵🎼🎵
Why is it lost? I've got it :) The bass playing is exquisite and astonishing. Great to see you showing appreciation for some of the bassist's great bass playing albums. I'm hooked man!
Great history lessons you included in the video 🔥
I want to thank you so much for your videos. I’m a bassist from Chicago living in LA. You have so much insight. Really appreciate you brother. God Bless!
Never really was interested in the record until now, thank you
Nice job. Educational, entertaining, and electrifying. Love AJ but really didn't know about this album. This is the best Christmas present!
I enjoyed your analysis and commentary. This album, being a fast and furious fan of Chaka’s from forever has always amazed me. For one thing I always thought it was Marcus and Anthony on Naughty, Marcus doing the chorus with the slap and plucking and Anthony doing the everything else. Clouds for me is the genius episode. That is just an Anthony Jackson masterpiece, his greatest work ever if I may, and I’ve seen him play from way back in 1978 with Captain Fingers in Tokyo. Im pressed to know what he is up to now in 2022. I hesitate to go to google for an answer because he has been MIA for too long. Thanks nonetheless
Thanks for the turn on. What a fine album. Great production. Can't wait to listen to it all day tomorrow. I get exactly what you mean about the times changing. I'm curious how much they spent (lost?).
As a die-hard Chaka Khan fan Naughty was just the second installment of our files on her! The next album was pumping at all parties- What Cha Gonna Do For Me?
those first 3 albums were classics
Hi Paul after watching this video I went ob EBay and found the Chaka Kan's Naughty CD I put a bid and got it for a dollar All i can say is wow what a CD thank you so much Joe
I agree brother! One of my favorite albums ever! Thanks for making all your amazing videos buddy!
Bruhh, I'm like you. This album is 💯🔥🔥🔥
Loving these break downs.
You always nail it in these vids. I thought I was the only one who knew this album lol. I have jammed to this a million times.
Best bass content of UA-cam ❤